For The Heart Can Still See
by akamagerain
Summary: (Spoilers for chapter 503 onwards) Dimaria may have stolen her vision, but could not her pride. Sightless or not, Lucy would save Natsu. A what-if, canon-deviant multi-shot, assuming Lucy had indeed been blinded by Dimaria, set in the ongoing Alvarez war arc.
1. One

_**One**_

* * *

It was the first thing she knew coming to.

Not the cold ground biting into her back.

Not the thick, sticky, caking wetness streaking down her face.

Pain.

The first thing Lucy knew coming to was excruciating pain.

She was no stranger to bodily harm or torture, but this was nothing like she'd ever felt before.

At the back of her mind, she registered just how weird it was to come to, but not open her eyes.

Not that she could ever again.

It hit her like a bus. The realisation that she could never comment on Gary's state of undress or marvel at Erza's closet extensions again. That she couldn't help Wendy with her hair, or Happy with decorating fish for Carla.

No more gazing at sunsets from her window sill, or watching the rainbow Sakura bloom. No more witnessing the countryside go by on trains or spying on Gajeel and Levy flirting.

No more of her usual novels. Her writing…

And never again would she get actually see those bright onyx eyes, so full of mischief.

Still, Lucy smiled.

It hurt, it was scary, it was tremendously painful, and this form of open-eyed darkness was something she wasn't remotely used to - and yet, she was happy.

Proud, even.

She had not screamed.

She had not cried.

Dimaria may have stolen her sight, but Lucy still had her pride, and she had not let herself down. She had lived up to her promise to not give the Spriggan any satisfaction in torturing her.

It was only then that Lucy noted that all she could hear was…nothing.

It was silent.

Far too silent, especially considering how loud Dimaria had been while enjoying putting Lucy through hell, all the way until she passed out from the pain.

And there was also…

"Natsu!" Lucy screamed, bolting upright. "Natsu? Natsu! Where are you?"

Lucy immediately clutched her head, bracing against the wave of dizziness that assaulted her.

'Just how much blood did I lose?' she wondered briefly.

Noticing how her fear from being unable to see was beginning to take over, Lucy began forcing herself to breathe deeply. And it was in the midst of calming herself down that she realised that her cuffs were off and she could now access her magic pool.

Her keys weren't around, but there was still a lot she could do.

Channelling her strength, she focused on searching for other magic signatures, looking for the teeming reservoir-on-legs that was Natsu.

Her marvelling of her enhanced abilities - compensating for her loss in sight, she assumed - was interrupted by the very obvious fact that Natsu was nowhere near.

And that she still was.

"W-why are you still here?" she asked, turning towards where Dimaria's magic signature was coming from. "A-and where's Nat-"

"M-monster…" a voice croaked. It was frail, weak, and downright terrified. But it was still the same, now unforgettable voice that Lucy had heard earlier, though nothing like the mocking one she had been subjected to.

"What do you mean?" asked Lucy, the growing trepidation in her telling her she may not want the answer.

"That power…one that could rival a Goddess…it could only be END.."

"What does tha-"

"You!"

Lucy was taken aback when she heard the familiar voice.

"Porlyusica?"

Lucy heard the old lady hiss when she turned to her, and she realised she probably looked worse than she felt.

Or she was probably just not feeling what she was supposed to, thanks to all the adrenaline.

"Can you do anything about her wounds?" The old lady's voice rang loud, causing Lucy to wince.

"She'll never see again if I do," another voice rasped.

"Brandish? You're okay!" Lucy felt herself smile, genuinely relieved that she was, unable to see the sheer amount of guilt that flashed across Brandish's face.

"Oh Lucy.." Another voice.

Lucy had to strain to remember, but she figured it was Evergreen and smiled towards her. "I'm okay, you guys, don't worry."

"No, you are not. It's a miracle you're not yet in shock." Porlyusica said curtly, and Lucy could so easily imagine her scowl.

She felt the old lady wrap and arm around her and lay her down, before hearing a very distinct rattling of objects near her head.

"You! Green one! Do what you can with her wounds and I'll handle the rest. And soon, before she bleeds out!"

Lucy understood the urgency - the pain was returning once more, now with a vengeance - but she couldn't handle the knot of dread forming in her chest. "We need to find Natsu!" she managed, through her pain.

She felt Porlyusica stiffen next to her, and Lucy felt her heart drop to her stomach.

The old lady sighed deeply before beginning in a measured, all business-tone, "I misdiagnosed. That what we healed was not a mere tumour…"

"Wha-?" Lucy's gasped softly at the news.

"…it was far worse. It was near demonic in its essence."

Lucy's mouth dropped in a silent scream, her palms slapping over them as she quivered with barely restrained emotion, easily putting two and two together.

' _Dimaria words… Oh, Natsu!'_

Porlyusica wasn't sure if it were due to the news or her pain, though something inside told her it was the former. But regretful as it was, she had to fulfill her duty as Healer to the guild.

"He is not what we've always thought him to be."

Lucy said not a word after that declaration, silently allowing her wounds to be treated.

Porlyusica observed silently as she began taking care of the injury - how the blonde didn't say a word more, not when Brandish apologised for everything, not when Evergreen held Lucy's hand while she was being treated, having secured Dimaria with the magic cancelling cuffs. The only time she showed any emotion through the entire procedure was when the brunette handed her her keys.

Several long, tense minutes later, and Lucy's eyes were carefully bandaged, Porlyusica silently lamenting how the cloth would never open to happy, healthy eyes.

She had failed the child. If she had realised sooner, reached her a little sooner then maybe…

"I cannot thank you enough Porlyusica," said Lucy, cutting off the old lady at that thought.

And surprising her further by smiling.

"You shouldn't be sitting up," she said instead, in practised monotone.

"I guess, but I can't stay down. Natsu needs me."

"Child," the healer said in soft reprimand. "Did you not - "

"I heard you," Lucy clarified, using a puzzled Evergreen's aid to raise herself to her feet, head facing Porlyusica. "And I trust in your skills enough to believe you're definitely right about something. But if there's one thing I know, it's that I can trust Natsu. He could be a human, demon or dragon. But no matter what, Natsu is Natsu."

Porlyusica's eyes widened at her determined declaration. She didn't even have to see Lucy's to note the resolve in them.

She watched as Brandish moved to stand by Lucy as well, wordlessly promising to stay by her side.

Porlyusica took a moment to appreciate what she was witnessing. It wasn't often that the humans could surprise her so.

"Then I'll come too," she said, following Lucy out of the building after she nodded her consent.

Porlyusica couldn't help but internally scoff a bit at the girl's naïve foolishness. She knew what she saw.

 _'Though you would probably call it her being strong, wouldn't you, Makarov?'_ she thought.

And secretly, she agreed.

* * *

 _ **Another drabble that went out of control, lol. I happened to make a comment on Tumblr about how Lucy not having lost her sight was possibly wasted potential, and a really sweet anon asked me what I meant. Aaaaand the rest is history. Thank you for reading, there's more to come soon! :D**_


	2. Two

_**Two**_

* * *

The darkness was something she wasn't sure she would ever really get used to.

The fact that she was now blind was something Lucy had both understood and accepted for the time being, but it was still extremely weird to know that she could have her eyes open, _could blink_ even, and still not ever see anything again.

Lucy took the silence prevailing in the small group as a chance to try and get as accustomed to the dark as possible. She had to, especially since the likelihood of her needing to fight in that condition was very high.

The thought both scared her and fuelled her determination, because she knew all too well why she was pushing herself so far.

Natsu.

"Don't keep erratically increasing your pace, Lucy," a mildly irritated voice came to her left. "Or give us a heads up."

"Sorry, Evergreen," she apologised to the Fairy helping her walk. "You too, Brandish." Lucy turned her head to her right to apologise to the Spriggan supporting her as well.

It saddened Lucy to hear the loud silence from her. The overwhelming regret Brandish was feeling was almost palpable, and Lucy wished she could magic it away.

"And thank you," she said instead, feeling Brandish stiffen next to her. "You tried your best to protect me and Natsu from _her_. So, thank you."

Lucy smiled softly when Brandish's arm around her tightened reassuringly in response, somehow certain the expression was being reflected on Brandish's face as well.

If anyone noticed how Lucy refused to say Dimaria's name, no one made it known.

It took some more walking before Lucy felt it - two very familiar magic signatures, one of which was too low for comfort.

"This way," said Lucy pointing from where she could sense them. "I can feel Gray and Wendy… and a third too. Juvia, I think."

The group increased pace, Porlyusica matching theirs effortlessly, her age as though irrelevant, something that impressed Lucy. She could hear the strength of her stride in the steady sound of her footsteps and it made her feel more pride to be affiliated with the healer.

All that warmth, though, was effectively dampened when she heard the whimpering.

Very masculine whimpering.

"What's…" Lucy wasn't sure if she even wanted to ask.

"Gray's down," Evergreen informed as they approached the group. "Wendy is healing him."

Lucy swallowed thickly. It wasn't easy to make Gray need healing on the battle ground, much less have him crying.

And all her suspicions were proven right, when she smelled the tell-tale odour of charred flesh.

 _Gray's_ charred flesh.

The thought nearly made her retch right there.

"What about Juvia?" Lucy asked, knowing the presence she could feel a few yards away from where Wendy and Gray were.

"The water mage looks okay, though clearly recovering from a beating," Brandish spoke up finally, "she seems to be resting."

"That's good," Lucy sighed, trying to focus on the positives.

"Hold on Lucy-san," Wendy's voice came. "I'm nearly done with him, and then I'll treat yours and your friend's wounds."

It was obvious Wendy hadn't really looked up from her task yet, something Lucy was glad for, even if the respite was momentary.

And as much as Lucy wanted to not put anymore strain on the little slayer, she couldn't refuse the aid. She knew she was still in very bad shape, and she needed to be in her best form if she had any hope of saving Natsu.

So Lucy shrugged out of Evergreen and Brandish's secure hold. The brunette immediately darted to check on Juvia along with Porlyusica, while Brandish looked on awkwardly as Lucy sat next to where Gray lay on the ground.

And heard Wendy gasp as she finally noticed.

"Lucy-san, oh - "

"Lucy?"

Gray cut off whatever Wendy was about to say, his voice sounding surprised.

"Yeah, I'm here."

Gray seemed to let that sink in momentarily. He then slammed a clenched fist next to him, before laying that hand over his still watering eyes.

"I'm sorry. It's Natsu.. Natsu's END…and I had to..I didn't want to…but Dad…how could that flame brained Jackass be _him_?! Why him of all people?"

"Shhh, Gray," Lucy cooed softly, reaching over to run her fingers through his hair, her heart breaking at how defeated he sounded. At sound of Wendy too, who was also sobbing now. "I know; and it wasn't your fault, Gray. Besides, he will be back."

"No. No he won't." Gray pushed the words through his teeth, still refusing to look towards her. "He's gone, Lucy. That's not him."

Now that ticked off Lucy.

Her hand shot out of his hair to grip onto his shoulder, the other hand descending on the other - grabbing him and forcing him several inches off the ground.

"You hear me, Gray Fullbuster," she sneered, unable to see how Gray's eyes widened at finally seeing her. "Natsu _in that state_ , saved my life again. Natsu _in that state_ , did not kill the one who did this to me. He is still Natsu. Our Natsu. He's out there somewhere and he needs help, and I'm going to get him back, you hear me? END or not!"

"L-Lucy-san…" Wendy interjected, and Lucy let go of Gray, turning towards the little girl.

"Wendy," she requested earnestly. "I'm sorry to ask this of you right now, but when you're done with Gray, please treat me as best as you can."

"I-I'm done here," she said. And Lucy could hear her resolve despite how shaky her voice was.

Moments later, Lucy felt the familiar warmth that was Wendy's magic. It was only then, as the pain her body was humming with this whole time gradually started disappearing, that Lucy actually realised just how badly she had been injured.

 _Tortured._

Lucy shook away the thought as soon as it came. She'd have plenty of time to deal with her own stuff once Natsu was safe.

"Thank you, Wendy," Lucy wished sincerely when the little girl was done, pulling her into a hug.

"I'm sorry I can't do more Lucy-san. Y-you're eyes…" Wendy apologised, looking up into Lucy's now open eyes, the warm glow in them so visibly dimmed.

Lucy shook her head. "It's good enough to not have that itchy gauze around. Besides, this makes my decision not to cut my bangs now seem much smarter." She added with a wink.

The watery giggle she received warmed her heart.

Humour at tough times - what Natsu would do.

"Child," came Porlyusica's voice. "We need your skills here now."

"Go, help Juvia," Lucy prompted, knowing the hesitance she could sense from Wendy wasn't just her imagination.

"And what are you going to do?" Wendy asked softly.

"Find Natsu."

Wendy sounded like she was about to say something when Porlyusica called once again, forcing her to leave Lucy's side.

Though not without a warning. "Lucy-san, I don't want to have to treat worse wounds than these."

Lucy nodded firmly, internally saddened by how much the twelve year old had to witness at such a tender age. She was supposed to be happy, safe and protected and as far away from war and suffering as possible.

Lucy slapped her cheeks, centering herself. "I'll be heading out then!" she called out to where everyone was near Juvia.

"I'm coming too," Brandish's said, interrupting Lucy's attempt at saying anything more.

Lucy took a second to appreciate how Brandish had yet to leave her side.

"No, Brandish."

"But - "

"No buts. You've already nearly died trying to protect me and Natsu. What if he's near more Spriggans? I don't want you to get hurt, least of all on our account. And if you must, please, defend my friends here, they may need it." Lucy pleaded.

Brandish was about to argue when -

"I'll go."

Both of them turned towards the baritone.

"Gray?" Lucy said, wondering if she had imagined the sheepishness there. What she was sure of was that he was feeling better, and was now on his feet.

"Yeah. I - uh - I was focused on the wrong things. Not anymore. Let's get him back, Lucy."

Definitely sheepish. But also definitely the Gray she'd always known.

Lucy grinned. "Yeah, let's."

She sensed Gray walk up to her and gently take hold of her hand. Lucy jolted at the sudden reminder of the threat her newfound disability could pose.

Heck, _did pose._

She was suddenly very glad Gray was coming too.

She turned towards Brandish and smiled at her. "See? I'll be fine."

She only heard Brandish sigh in defeat and if it weren't for the concern she heard in that gust of air, she would have smirked.

What she did miss was the look the Spriggan shot to Gray, and the nod Gray returned.

Gray knew he couldn't afford to lose his way again. He was going to help bring Natsu back. And he would do everything he possibly could to make up for not being around to prevent what happened to Lucy.

Still holding hands, they picked up pace, breaking into a small run.

Surprisingly, it was Lucy determining the direction of their movement and Gray soon caught on, following her suggestions. At one point he turned towards Lucy, watching the obvious determination on her face.

He'd always known she was strong, especially with her giant heart, but this was a sort of strength he had yet to witness before. It made him even more proud to call her a guildmate, teammate and friend, the pride easily cutting through his remorse.

No wonder it was her that the ash-brain -

"Oh no," Lucy said, the abject fear in her voice stilling every thought in Gray's mind.

"Wha-" and in the next split second he pulled Lucy closer and had an ice shield made, protecting them from the massive wave of magic that suddenly came towards them.

And not just any magic.

Incredibly strong magic.

Dark magic.

 _'He wasn't spouting nonsense,'_ Gray thought worriedly, fortifying his ice shield with a second layer as the previous one began eroding under the onslaught.

Lucy summed up the million thoughts whirring in his head perfectly. With the right amount of horror.

"Oh no, _Zeref."_

* * *

 _ **Special thanks to AnimusLunari777, helenGet and Fishiku-Chan for your reviews! And to everyone who favourited and followed! ^^**_


	3. Three

_**Three**_

* * *

Gray had to reinforce his ice for a third time before the wave of dark magic relented. Not wanting to risk any harm to Lucy, Gray took the chance as soon as it did to grab her and leap far enough to avoid another onslaught.

The distance also gave him the chance to see what his instincts were telling him all along - how on one side stood Zeref - a picture of tranquillity, had it not been for the violent swarm of darkness swirling angrily around him.

And on the other stood -

"Natsu!" Lucy gasped, fighting Gray's hold.

"Lucy don't, you'll get - "

"Natsu's right there, Gray! I can _feel_ him, and he needs us!" Lucy argued, not pausing her frantic struggle.

Gray took a moment to take in Lucy's expression. She was clearly panicking.

"Exactly. Which is why you can't simply run in between them. We need a plan."

That worked; Lucy stopped struggling against him.

"Good. Now you're thinking, and we'll have a strategy in no ti - "

"Okay, listen up," she interrupted, with all the authority of the brains of Team Natsu.

And Gray did. It wasn't the most extensive plan, nor was it the most risk-free. By a long shot. But if there was anyone's ideas he would bet his life on, it would be Lucy's and she did make a strong argument.

Still...

"Are you sure about this, Lucy?"

"Not entirely, but I think it's our best shot at saving him."

"So, clearly, no pressure," said Gray, bumping Lucy's shoulder, trying to alleviate some the very obvious tension.

Lucy though, in no mood to joke around, only nodded, switching effortlessly to her Scorpio Stardress. "Let's do this."

The two warring mages before them were far too engrossed in their ongoing battle to notice them - something Lucy and Gray exploited. Zeref and Natsu leapt away from each other after a particularly intense attack, and Gray notified Lucy of their chance, mirroring her as she lay her palms on the ground.

At a whispered signal, they combined their powers in the earth, fusing sand and ice into a large barrier to separate the two brothers.

Knowing the wall wouldn't last very long, they took to their decided sides, the weight of the entire war on their shoulders.

* * *

It took Gray every effort to split away from Lucy.

Mentally, he knew there was a plan and that Lucy knew what she was doing, but it still worried him to leave her side especially in her current circumstances.

The glow of Loke's key was a source of solace, though. Gray knew better than most how dedicated his best friend was to his key-holder, and if there was anyone who could keep Lucy safe with what was happening, it'd be Loke.

It was with that thought that Gray doubled up his speed. He had a job to do, and lives relied on it.

And despite his fears, his gut told him that he could count on Lucy to deal with him. Unlike the flame-brain, the risks she took were calculated ones.

Stilling before his own opponent, he decided to ensure that he honoured her trust in him as well.

He re-engaged Silver, confidence surging as he braced for what could not be an easy battle.

"Sorry, but this is as far as I can let you go."

Dark eyes locked onto his midnight blue ones in crazed anger.

"Gray," Natsu growled.

* * *

Loke's appearance was like a breath of fresh air for Lucy.

The amount of dark energy she could detect was nearly suffocating, and it hurt her to note that not all of it stemmed from the person she was running towards, desperately hoping that her plan would succeed, despite the odds.

..

 _"Lucy that does not sound like a good idea at all."_

 _Lucy expected that. She agreed. But she also knew there wasn't any "good" idea at their disposal. "I know Gray," she said gravely. "but this has more of a chance than you facing Zeref, he wouldn't hesitate to kill you where you stand."_

 _"And you looking like some old dead friend of his would?"_

 _"An old comrade, yes. He may have been friends with Mama too, I think. And if Brandish's loyalty is anything to go by, he does seem to treat his own people well. If nothing else he should have a question or two for me, and that should buy you enough time to snap Natsu out of it."_

 _"Because the first time worked so well?" he asked incredulously._

Lucy looked at him pointedly, and for a moment Gray forgot her eyes didn't see. "This time, you aren't trying to kill him. This time, all he needs to be told is who I am facing. He will come."

 _And in the silence that answered her statement, let her know that despite everything he reluctantly agreed. There was a pattern with Natsu. His food, his ideals, his own health and safety, his sanity - he would sacrifice all of it if a comrade was in danger. 'Especially if that comrade was you,' Gray added mentally._

 _"Are you sure about this, Lucy?" he asked one last time, just to be sure._

..

The energy around here was suffocating, and in that storm of thick, sticky, weirdly _wrong_ aura, Loke's warmth was refreshing as it was reassuring - the magical equivalent of a breath of fresh air.

As soon as it came, Lucy felt Loke tug at the crook of her elbow to stop her running. Just as she was about to ask why -

"How dare you?" a calm, but audibly angry voice came.

Lucy, realising that Loke was shielding the man's sight of her, stepped out from behind him. She did her best to lock in on where his face would be, ensure he saw her steady glare.

Immediately, she felt a palpable drop in the dark aura.

"Layla?"

Her own stern demeanour nearly fell. Nearly. The confirmation of her suspicions was not quite welcome, she wasn't sure what she felt about her mother being allied with anyone as horrid as Zeref.

"You knew my mother?"

She felt Loke fidget next to her, but her focus was on the Dark Mage before her.

"Ah, Layla's _daughter_. I wish you weren't witness to this." his tone almost regretful.

"How do you know my mother?" Lucy demanded, louder this time.

"And you're blind? It seems to me like it's recent. Oh, I hope it wasn't caused by one of mine," he continued sadly, as though she hadn't spoken up at all.

Lucy was silent this time, not wanting to confirm or deny anything, but she didn't have to.

"You're not looking directly at me," he explained, and Lucy cursed that he was able to read her unasked question. "You have my sincerest apologies for your injury." He actually sounded genuinely sorry.

Weird.

But not enough to sidetrack Lucy.

"Why are you doing this to Natsu?" she asked, relieved to note how clear her voice was.

"Bringing back my brother's life to as it should be and ending my own. Win-win," he answered crisply. Lucy, though, was now reeling with all the new information.

 _'Bringing back.'_

 _'Brother.'_

Lucy didn't even realise when she was tearing up again.

"Brother? What kind of a brother are you? You don't even know him," she seethed.

Zeref arched a brow.

"I made the ultimate sacrifice. In saving him, I was cursed. It's only fair that he undoes it."

It sounded like he was lying, but Lucy couldn't care less for him at the moment. "But won't that hurt him? Knowing he killed the only possible family he has left?"

"Oh," Zeref chuckled darkly. "He won't have the time. He would be joining me."

Lucy's blood ran cold.

In one long moment, she witnessed every memory of Natsu smiling, every one of his goofy shenanigans. Him playing with Asuka. Him cooking with Happy. Bickering with Gray. Sparring with Erza. Mentoring Wendy. Fighting for the guild. Saving lives.

Being _Natsu._

"What was that?" Zeref asked, turning a ear towards her quivering frame.

"I. Won't. _Let_. You." Lucy ground out, visibly seething.

Zeref sighed deeply, ignoring how Loke had now braced himself once more, ready to launch an attack at his master's command. "There isn't much you can do to change that," he said, as though explaining a simple concept to a small child. "Everything is already set in motion with E.N.D now awakened and - "

Zeref hadn't felt his breath knocked out of his chest in that manner for _years_. He had sensed nothing, seen nothing and yet here he was lying flat on the ground and his chest smarting.

Actually _smarting_.

"H-how-"

He looked up to see a vision.

Lucy stood where he had been only a few seconds ago, panting, angry, palms out like she had just pushed something - some _one -_ and glowing.

Actually, physically, _glowing_.

Her hair fanned around her, floating in response to the magical energy she seemed to exude at sky-high levels - a contradiction to the tired, patched up image she presented only a while ago.

And she was angry.

Behind her, her spirit stood slack-jawed, rooted to where he was, unable to comprehend what had just happened.

Zeref understood the feeling. No one had had him on the ground so easily before - not since his curse and definitely not a disabled celestial mage.

Yet there she was, standing before him. A vision, teeming with magic that was so unlike his, yet still bore such stark resemblance.

Standing up gingerly, he found himself genuinely upset over not having any injuries anymore.

"Ms Heartfilia, as interesting as this is, I would really like to not injure you - "

"You're not going to hurt Natsu," she commanded, cutting him off.

That ticked something off in him.

"Lucy - " Loke tried, before having his gate unceremoniously and forcibly closed, without so much as a blink from his key holder.

"I believe you are doing your best to test my patience. I urge you to not."

"I am not surrendering him to the likes of you. How dare you call yourself his brother after all you intend to put him through!" She was yelling now, and he could feel The Other taking over.

"He is my brother," he practically growled back.

"Yeah? Well, I'm his best friend and partner. And you're not taking him from me."

The increase in the density of dark magic was immediate and Lucy almost recoiled from how intense it was. "He is my brother," she heard, "and Heartfilia or not no one's going to stop our passage together."

Lucy had only a small moment after that to brace against a massive wave of angry dark magic.

This was different from what she had felt until now, though. This, Lucy realised with a fresh jolt of fear, was the life stealing kind.

...

The fight that followed was the most intense one she had ever been a part of. By a long shot.

The new-found energy surging through her, meant the all-too-close dark energy she could feel hurtling towards her at incomprehensible speeds was being kept just at bay. Zeref was aggressive with his assault on her defensive dome and it was all Lucy could do to keep her shield in place.

 _'He isn't going for physical blows,'_ she realised in a few moments. Remembering his build, it became clear to her, _'He relies on magic for any offence, not fists.'_

Drawing some of her energy towards one ankle and using the other to pivot around, she delivered a roundhouse kick in Zeref's general direction. It was enough to take him by surprise, forcing him to retreat a few steps back, and giving Lucy a few golden moments to concentrate and refocus all her magic towards making a stronger shield around herself.

 _'A little longer,'_ she told herself, _'a little longer and he'll be here.'_

"LUCY!"

* * *

Natsu ran. It was hard, what with the talons at his feet and the new weight of his horns and wings, but none of that mattered just then.

 _"Natsu, you've got to stop this" Gray said, dodging a punch. Natsu should have already realised something was seriously wrong when he wasn't actively trying to hurt him, and still using that grave tone. But he was trying to stop him. Natsu couldn't allow that. He had to end this. He had to kill -_

 _"Lucy is with Zeref right now!" Gray managed._

That had been all Natsu needed to hear, it would seem, to get things into some perspective. Before Gray could even register, he had stopped his attacks and had taken off towards Zeref.

He couldn't ever let anything happen to her.

The more his worry increased, the clearer the fog in his head got. Where had he last seen her? Fighting Dimaria? Where had she gone since? When did he leave her side?

He put his frustration at not knowing the answer to any of those questions aside, rounding the huge wall blocking his sight of the other side of the battlefield -

\- where black and gold masses were clashing violently against each other. Zeref was clearly very angry, and had an arm pulled back, black magic pooling with viciousness even he hadn't witnessed yet.

Instinctively, even before he could think against it, he screamed for her.

"LUCY!"

Time slowed down as Natsu immediately registered what a grave mistake he had made.

As instinctively as his cry left him, Lucy turned towards his voice. Natsu froze.

 _'Her eyes!'_

Within that fraction of a second, her concentration wavered. The golden swirls surrounding her, protecting her, pulsed. The very moment they dimmed, Zeref's hand pierced the luminescent barrier.

He could just make out the small smile on her face, which fell before it formed, and Natsu felt his heart stop.

He vaguely noted Gray's gasp from behind him. But he could do nothing, not move, not yell, _nothing._

All he could do was watch in abject horror, as Zeref's curse-riddled hand made contact with Lucy.

Right over her heart.

* * *

 _ **If you've noticed, we now have a cover image for this, hand-drawn by the wonderful, amazing x-** **benihime** **. I really recommend you read her writing, o m g. She's so awesome. *heart emoji fivever***_

 _ **And special thanks to chibirice, Court818, AnimusLuniari777, Guest #1, Guest #2, Hount-Walf, WatchMist1412, Anon and the sweet quite-a-riot for all your lovely reviews, and to everyone else who favourited and followed! :D**_


	4. Four

_**Four**_

* * *

Natsu was running before he even realised, despite being painfully aware he was never going to make it.

That _she_ wasn't ever going to make it.

Lucy may have been touched by the worst curse known to mankind, but that did nothing to change his urge to be by her side, to still try and save her.

A few steps in though and he felt an elbow hook around his neck, immediately ceasing his movement and pushing him onto his butt.

"Gray!" Natsu choked, "What the - "

He was immediately blinded, before wave after wave of wind, dust and debris began hitting him. He held his arms up against it, squinting to get a look at what was happening, looking for Lucy, but all he could see was horridly bright light that threatened to burn out his retinas.

There wasn't much time to spare over the whats and whys though, because the next thing he registered was agonised screaming that tore through the chaos.

Lucy's agonised screaming.

* * *

Brandish fought off another Alvarezian soldier with a heavy heart. It didn't feel right attacking her own people - especially when they looked at her with such accusatory eyes. _'Traitor,'_ they seemed to scream. But she knew when her own people were in the wrong. Well, at least she hoped she knew.

She was distracted from her thoughts thanks to a palpable change in the atmosphere. She, much like everyone else in their group, turned towards where the odd sensation seemed to be emanating from, barely registering the wind girl's gasp as her own jaw dropped.

It was unlike anything she had ever seen.

A tall pillar stood as though joining the earth and the heavens, absolutely teeming with volatile, violent energy. Black and golden waves clashed and swirled around each other forming the tall jet stream of power that seemed to shoot straight through the sky.

Her group wasn't the only one to witness this phenomenon. The entire war seemed to pause as everyone, struck with the anomaly and the sheer amounts of energy involved, stopped to stare.

"What the hell is that thing?" asked Mest, turning to the First in search for an answer.

"Take me there," she urged.

Mest read her tone and nodded gravely. "For once, Master, I hope you're wrong about whatever you're thinking."

Jellal and Erik stood, eyes wide at the sight before them.

"Even you can't figure this shit out?" asked Erik, shifting so he could support his guild master's weight better, not taking his eyes of the pillar.

"No," was Jellal's soft-spoken reply. Erik smirked, with more than a little relief, as he read Jellal's unspoken resolve to ensure he somehow did.

"W-what is that thing?" Sting asked, taking an instinctive step closer towards Rogue.

"I'm not sure," answered Rogue. "But whatever it is, it's no good. That's too much conflicting energy swarmed around one place."

"Conflicting?"

"Yeah," Rogue responded grimly, somehow aware of what that could feel like within one mortal body.

"Damn it," Sting cursed bracing himself against the now mobile enemy troupes. And Rogue could not agree more.

* * *

It hurt.

The moment she felt the coldness seep through her chest, her new-found energy seemed to burst through.

Literally, burst through.

It felt like it was tearing her into pieces. Every inch of her hurt in a manner she had never experienced before. She wanted to claw at her skin, tear the pain away with it, but found herself immobile in agony.

And there was so much of it.

Her ears rang with her own screams, and she was quickly losing her grip on reality.

In the distance, she could vaguely hear more screaming, a male who also seemed to be undergoing similar torture.

The memory of Zeref's cold, dark, manic eyes kept reminding her there was something to do, but what exactly, she couldn't remember.

She hurt far too much for that.

After a short infinity, she began to feel the wearing of her body. It started with her own magic container and though startled, her first feeling was relief.

It would soon be over.

It would stop.

She would be fre-

"LUCY!"

Lucy's eyes - which had been screwed shut against her pain - shot open. She couldn't see anything, but she finally understood.

"Gray, let go goddamn it, Lucy's in there somewhere! LUCY!"

Her anchor needed her.

She could not die.

Struggling against every instinct, she tried to move her body.

* * *

It took Gray all of Silver just to keep Natsu down and not let him kamikaze his way into the vortex.

He understood Natsu's need to, a little too well, but they had to minimise losses.

 _Losses._

Gray swallowed back tears that threatened to see the light of day.

 _Lucy._

He wasn't certain of what was happening, but from what little he could gather Lucy was somehow reacting - _responding_ \- to Zeref's curse, and he could only hope that that wouldn't kill her.

Gray had always been one of the most rational people he knew, but for once, despite all the evidence laid out before him, and what logic was screaming at him, he hoped Lucy would survive.

So no matter how much Natsu fought his hold or dug his talons into his arms, or cried her name with a fear that shook him to his core, Gray wouldn't let Natsu run to his death. Because Lucy wouldn't forgive him if something happened to Natsu.

And because Gray knew he couldn't stand the thought of potentially losing one dear teammate before his very eyes.

Losing two would most certainly kill him.

Gray was contemplating using his ice to seal Natsu temporarily, when another body aided him in holding down the dragon-demon.

"Loke! What's happening?" Gray asked frantically, praying he was misreading the scowl marring the lion spirit's handsome face.

"I can't tell," he growled clearly angry with himself for being unable to. "But this is way too much power for one mortal body."

"Princess!" Virgo gasped, appearing beside Loke. "This is wrong, brother!"

If there was any minor doubt in Gray's mind, it vanished seeing the panicked expression in the Virgo's otherwise fairly blank eyes.

"Yes," came Lucy's voice and Gray nearly gave himself whiplash turning towards her.

"Gemi, Mini?" Loke growled, Gray's heart sinking before it could even recognise the hope it was feeling. "What the hell is Lucy doing?" he exclaimed, noticing other spirits appearing around them.

Until all of them were.

Each one of Lucy's contracted spirits from Pyxis to Old man Crux and from Taurus to himself - were present just then and Loke's worry sky-rocketed. She had only done this once before - with fewer keys and for a shorter period of time.

She had collapsed within moments.

Struggling against the power he was facing on the outside, and that coursing through himself, Loke stood.

"You're not going in," Gray warned.

"I can't die. She can," Loke said simply, striding towards the vertical vortex, only to walk into another body that appeared.

"Mest?"

Wait, no. _Bodies._

"Hello, Spirit of the Lion Zodiac," Mavis greeted calmly, her back facing Loke. "Please, let me take it from here."

"Master," Loke urged, "Lucy's life is in danger, and she's gone and opened all her gates - "

"In a very wise move," Mavis interrupted. "That much power should have killed her by now. She's channelising it so that it won't hurt her, and using her gates to ensure that the release doesn't cause harm to anyone else as well. All while ensuring she had enough to counter Zeref."

Mavis looked over her shoulder to look at Loke. "You have a very smart Mistress. Trust her."

Loke understood. He wasn't pleased - not one bit, but he understood.

"First," Natsu's raw voice startled her, "what's happening to Lucy."

The boisterous dragon slayer was never, ever supposed to sound so lost.

"Her magic is clashing with Zeref's - and it's hurting her and him. They'll be like that till someone wins."

"You said she was ensuring she had enough power left to fight his? You're actually saying she's stronger that _the_ Dark Mage? How is _this much power_ coming from _Lucy_?" asked Mest, his disbelief a bit too audible.

Mavis stole a quick glance towards Natsu. "The One Magic." She said simply.

Loke sputtered. "How - "

The vortex hummed, forcing everyone to take a step back. "She can't win without tipping the balance in her favour, and she can't do that without killing herself."

"Then I'll go," said Natsu rising to his feet, suddenly eerily calm. "I'm made of the same magic as Zeref, I should be able to help her," Natsu argued. No one missed the hope in his otherwise flat argument.

Mavis shook her head. "She'll need much more than END, Natsu. Besides, she wouldn't be very happy with you if she knew you threw your life away. She's fighting to keep hers, so return the favour?" She quietly reprimanded Natsu.

Taking his silence as his answer, she squared her shoulders. "It is time Fairy Heart was finally deployed," she declared, moving steadfastly towards the vortex.

"Master!" Gray called but she simply shook her head. "It is _high_ time," she repeated, walking away from the group and towards the warring energies. "Loke, can I trust you and the other celestial spirits to aid in protecting the guild? You all need to expend all that energy as well, and the powers you now wield will save lives."

"Y-yes Master," came Loke's choked response as she walked away. There wasn't anything else anyone could say. All they could do was trust her and to ensure they didn't let the First faith them down.

Mavis craned her neck to take one final look at the pillar she now stood before, watching the gold trying its best to swallow the black, a soft smile appearing on her face. "Love is such a beautiful thing," she whispered in awe, before screwing her eyes shut.

It was scary. This really was the end. And even after so many years of existence and after so many attempts to take her own life, she found that she now didn't really want to move on, even if she had to. She had made new friends, a new family, and to leave them all hurt. To leave everything she and her very first friends built together _hurt._

 _'You've done me proud Makarov,'_ she said, finally. _'It is time I did the same for our family.'_

And with that final thought, she embraced her will to live and need to die. She raised her hands, called forth the magic she hadn't ever used before, and stepped inside.

* * *

 _ **Thank you for reading! This is really headed places I hadn't planned before lol - this was supposed to only be a drabble/one-shot after all. So feedback would be much appreciated!**_

 _ **Special thanks to ThatOneFriend-3, quite-a-riot,** **asian-simbae** ** _,_ Wizard Saint, Guest and WatchMist1412 for your lovely reviews and to everyone else who favourited and followed! :D**_


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